Electric fixture pull chain stop



Patented Feb. 3, 1953 ELECTRIC FIXTURE PULL CHAIN STOP John Legere, Haddon Heights, N. J and Edward M. Groman, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application May 17, 1950, Serial No. 162,518

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to a new and useful electric fixture pull chain stop and has for one of its objects to provide an exceedingly simple and inexpensive device for controlling the movements of a pull chain, in one direction, in order to reduce to a minimum the chances of breaking such chain by undue strain thereon after the switch or other element has been operated or thrown through the actuation of said chain.

A further object of this invention is to produce a pull chain stop comprising a stop means in the path of outward travel of a button, enlargement or protuberance on the outer end of said chain.

Pull chains of the type herein referred to are constructed of small balls and connecting wire links and are rather fragile and easily broken by slight excessive strains applied when pulling upon the chain. Often a person will pull such a chain so hard that the limit of movement is reached before the strain of the pull is relieved which is the usual reason for causing the chain to break. Therefore a further object of the pres ent invention is to provide means to stop the movement of the chain before it is pulled taut but subsequent to the full operation of the element, such as a switch, to which the chain is attached, said means including a button on the end of the chain to contact a stop surface through which passes a flexible element, such as a cord, attached to the chain for transmitting motion to the latter in one direction.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a pull chain stop consisting of an operating member, such as a switch, having a predetermined movement, a chain for actuating said operating member and provided with a button on its outer end, a flexible element attached to the chain in the region of the button, and a stop in the path of outward travel of the button at a distance from the retracted or neutral location of said button equal to the throw of operating member.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same we will describe its construction in detail referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof. in which:

Fig. l is a view of a ceiling switch equipped with a pull chain stop according to our invention and with the chain and componentparts shown in a retracted or neutral position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with a portion of the shell and interior hanger broken away and the pull chain depicted in an extended position and showing by dotted lines that the chain is not taut after the operating member has been actuated.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the ceiling switch and pull chain stop looking towards the back of stop forming bracket or hanger.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the ceiling switch with a diiferent form of stop means.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the modified form of chain stop element illustrated in Fig. 4.

In carrying out our invention as herein embodied I5 represents an electrical fixture, here shown as a ceiling switch but not limited thereto as We intend to include other types of switches, electric lamp sockets including an operating element and other devices emp1oying a fragile chain actuating means. The ceiling switch, depicted for illustrative purposes only, includes a base [6 to which is secured the U-shaped frame or hanger l1, Fig. 2, supporting the operating element or member I8 having a spring 19 associated therewith and also holding the switch blade 20 which is actuated by a ratchet mechanism as the spring reaches a predetermined tension due to rotation of the operating member, all of usual and well known construction. In addition the base 16 has combined stationary switch contacts and wire attaching terminals 2!, one of which is shown, and the switch blade engages the contacts to close an electric circuit, the latter being opened when said switch blade is disengaged from said contacts, the closing and opening of the circuit occurring alternately.

A shell 22 encloses or houses the operating and mounting elements of the mechanism and may be held in place by a fastening device 23, such as a screw, herein shown as projected through the bottom of the shell and into a portion of the U-shaped frame or hanger II. A chain 24, usually of the bead type and generally relatively fragile, has its inner end attached to the operating member or element I 8 and may pass over a guide 25 and thence through a hole 26 in the shell.

Each time the chain 24 is pulled, the operating member I8 is rotated to increase the tension of the spring [9 to a predetermined degree and then the switch blade will be speedily and snapplly rotated one-quarter of a turn to' cause said switch blade to either engage with or be disengaged from the contacts 2!. Each time the operating member is actuated it has a definite forward movement or throw to operate the switch blade and is also capable of a small extra movement before it is actually stopped and then retracted by the spring [9 upon the automatic release of the operating member from the switch blade mechanism. The chain 24, therefore, has an outward or extending movement of a definite distance in direct relation to the forward movement of the operatin member and is retracted a similar distance. Thus the outer end of the pull chain always moves a predetermined distance to actuate the operating member and then retracts the same distance.

The said outer end of the pull chainis always in a neutral, at rest or retracted position or location, as shown in Figs. 1 and l, except when pulled outward or extended for causing an actuation of the operating member and the switch blade, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The switch blade completes itsstroke just prior to the pull chain reaching its limit of outward movement. If the pulling action is continued after the operating. member reaches the end of its throw the chain isv likely to be broken and the break often occurs at a location where the broken end of the chain which is attached to the operating member- Will be drawn into the shell of the electric fixture or other device.

The breaking of the chain, or the likelihood thereof, is reduced to a minimum by providing a chain stop according to our invention. The elements comprising. such a chain stop includes. what we prefer to call a button 21, consisting of any protuberance or element larger than the cross sectional area of the pull chain proper, to providea shoulder 2-2, Figs. 1 and l, and said button is herein illustrated as a chain connector. To the outer end of the pull chain is secured a flexible auxiliary pull element or cord, 29 and, specifically, one end thereof is attached to the button 21' while the other end hangs down to a position within eas; access of an operator.

In addition, a stop member or surface is located in the path of travel of the button a distance from the neutral or retractedposition cf said button. slightly less than or approximately that of the throw of the operating member 18 and to insure the engagement of the. button with the stop surface Or member 39, the latter has an eye 3i through which the auxiliary pull cord 29 is threaded. The stop member Orsurface 3E] may besupported in any suitable manner, preferably but not necessarily, on the electrical fixture l5 or other device utilizing a pull chain in a similar way. For purposes of illustration only we have shown the stop surface formed as the toe of a bracket 32 including a leg 33 having a knee 3d at the upper end of said leg and underlying the bottom of the shell 22 and fastened in place by the screw 23 originally used to fasten said shell in place. It will be obvious that the bracket can be fashioned to be attachedatthe side of the fixture and in some types of fixtures the bracket can be mounted on the top thereof. In original manufacture it is possible to produce thebracxet as a unitary element of the electric "fixture.

In Figs. 4 and 5 we have shown a modification of the previously described structure wherein the leg 33 of the bracket or hanger 32 is swingingly or'pivotally attached to'the knee34a. In this instance, the knee Sta consists of aplate35 to be secured to a support, such as the electric fixture l d as-by; the screw 23,- and an car 36, preferably bent from said plate. The leg 33 is directly connected to the ear 36 so that said leg practically has a universal movement whereby the stop member or surface 30 will follow the various positions of the auxiliary pull cord 29 as it is pulled in different lateral directions.

In practice, whenever the pull chain 24 is operated, pulled outwardly or extended, through the medium of the auxiliary pull element or cord 29, to actuate the operating member 18 for throwing the switch blade to either a closed or open position, the stop means Or button 2'! will be moved from its neutral or normal inward or elevated position, Figs. 1 and 4, towards its outward or extended location, Figs. 2 and 3. As the operating member It is rotated it will permit the release of asuflicient amount of the chain to allow the button-to engage the stop member or surface 30 at which-time the switch blade will have been actuated. The engagement of the button 21 with the stop surface 38 arrests the movement of the pull chain just prior to said chain becoming taut so that further strain due to pulling upon the auxiliary pull element or cord will be absorbed by the button and stop surface and not transmitted to the chain wherefore the chain cannot bebroken merely by pulling upon the pull cord for actuating the switch blade through the medium of the operating member.

Of course we do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described as these may be varied within the scope of the appended claims without departin from the spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim new and useful is:

1. In a device of the kind described, an electric switch fixture including a shell with a switch therein and an operating pull chain, an auxiliary pull cord directly attached to the outer end of the pull chain which outer end is wholly outside of the shell, a stop means provided at the location of connection between the pull chain and cord, and a pendant hanger secured to said fixture and including a leg with a right angled apertured toe and the lower end thereof, said auxiliary pull cord passing through the aperture in the toe and said toe functioning as a stop means to. limit the movements of saidpull chain, auxiliary'cord and switch.

2. A pull chain stop for electric fixtures comprising, in combination, an electric fixture including a switch blade andcontacts, an operating member. for moving said blade alternately into closed andopen positions, said operating member being spring retractable, a pull chain'having one end attached to said operating memberto actuate the latter through a lengthwise movement of said pull chain, a button on the other end of saidpull chain, said button normally assuming a neutral position, anauxilia-ry pull cord attached to said button, and a stop means suspended from the fixture and located-at-a distance from the neutral position of said button approximately equal to the possible outward; movement of said button during outward lengthwise movement of the chain in actuating theoperating member, said stop means comprising a hanger detachably secured to the electric fixture and including a knee portion engaging the'fixture, a depending leg at approximately rightangles to the knee, and a toe extending at approximately right angles from the outer end of the legend in a direction opposite the knee, said toe having an eye for the passage of the pullcord.

5 3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the knee portion of the hanger is in the form of a plate engaging the fixture and from which plate extends an ear and wherein the depending leg is swingingly connected to said ear with the 5 toe extending at approximately right angles from the outer end of the leg.

JOHN LEGERE. EDWARD M. GROMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

8 UNITED STATES PATENTS 

